Be a good little atheist...

marplots said:
I think I must be a good atheist. Not because I'm a closet Christian, but because I see religion as largely inert and because, over time, I've become immune to the emotional infections -- I no longer feel the need to respond with outrage to the outrageous.
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You may not have that option much longer. The refusal of some atheists to stay in the back of the bus is starting to annoy the fanatics. The Pat Roberson types would like to see this country turned into a Christianized version of Iran.
Some cynics have made the observation that the only thing that keeps the 1st amendment of the US Constitution is that no one church is big enough to dominate the others so they all have to give lip service to religious freedom to protect their own turf. The vocal presence of atheists may change that.
 
MG1962 said:
So we now condem 2.1 Billion people to stereo type through the actions of 277 people in a 10th rate town in a fifth rate fly over state of the USA

Thats gotta be some sort of record
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You asked for an example, not every single incident. I didn't stereotype "2.1 Billion" people. Look at the quotes around "'good Christians'", it means a particular type, particularly the Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell crowd. I base that off of many incidents, most of them personal.

I couldn't ever talk about my atheism at my past job because I would have been fired. Of course they wouldn't go right out and say it was because I wasn't a Christian, but they would have found an excuse, just like they did for the Jew and Jehovah's Witness.

This sort of thing goes on everywhere in the U.S., constantly. Go ahead and believe otherwise if you want, but don't expect those of us who live under the shadow of "Christian morality" to take you seriously.
 
bokonon said:
So you don't consider
Over centuries of Islamic marauding, the goal of holy war wasn't to conquer land or exterminate nonbelievers; it was to swell Islamic numbers.

Yes, Christians did it, too - converted people at the point of a sword, or killed them.
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to be a criticism of religion.
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It isn't. It's criticism of the behavior of some religious people, but not the religion itself.

(And it also sounds like, in context, it was almost certainly being used as a setup, to be followed by a "but..." which was followed by a long explanation of how that doesn't really count and why Christianity is still somehow so much better, sorto like Darwin's often-quote-mined statement about eye evolution being followed by a bunch of details showing how it really could and did happen. Right?)
 
welshdean said:
How many of you missed the Tim Minchin Video in The Good Atheists link?

Here it is for your delectation



Back to topic:
I'm classed as a militant atheist by many of my friends, most aren't devout (2 are actually) but all are either baptised or christened. The reason being is that I can't, not won't, sit in a conversation while someone says "We prayed for the Chilean Miners...!" As soon as it, or similar crapola comes out I then ask 'Why do you think your god did it to them in the first place?' or 'Which god did you pray to? 'cause Odin has let me down so many times I'm thinking of swapping sides.' etc, etc. Often to rolling eyes and that knowing, sideways look from my close friends.
◊◊◊◊ it. Why should I stay quiet? Why should they have the airspace. I never let it descend into a slanging match or a dick measuring competition, I like to think that I'm fairly comedic/quick witted and can quickly turn it into a joke if needed. But, they will not get away with it in my company. Why should they?
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And herein lies the problem. Granted this does not apply to all theists. If someone tells me they are going to a chiropractor, I politely point out the danger in neck adjustments and the lack of scientific evidence for dangerous adjustments. Then I politely say some chiros use physical therapy techniques with success, but a good PT generally costs less. The chiro believer rarely views my comments as science activism or an attack on their personal beliefs.

If an atheist responds with a rational assessment to a claim from a theist that they will pray for so and so or that God saved one in a miracle during a disaster that killed many, it is seen as activism to point out the contradictions, lack of logic and lack of evidence in the theist belief. Why is an atheist not supposed to reply to theist woo lest it be seen as impolite?
 
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Irony said:
You asked for an example, not every single incident. I didn't stereotype "2.1 Billion" people. Look at the quotes around "'good Christians'", it means a particular type, particularly the Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell crowd. I base that off of many incidents, most of them personal.
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The point I am was questioning "It happens all the time" Does it...really? Then no atheist can hold down a job in America. If an atheist does hold down a job, then suddenly it must be anything less than all the time.

It could be anything from common to very rare.

And of course we know the US represents the whole world
 
Malerin said:
...
Strong (positive) atheism is a belief. ....
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So is the conclusion gravity is real.

The problem with this straw man is one can easily blur the definition of "belief" and "conclusion". It is useless to argue theism and atheism are both beliefs or not beliefs, because both are also conclusions. But arguing that pedantic is a straw man.

The difference between atheism and theism is not whether one is a belief and the other a conclusion. There is a fundamental difference between a scientific evidence based reality and one based on dogma one learned from another person.
 
MG1962 said:
So we now condem 2.1 Billion people to stereo type through the actions of 277 people in a 10th rate town in a fifth rate fly over state of the USA

Thats gotta be some sort of record
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Now you want dozens of examples, one was not enough.

Seriously, quit wasting our time.
 
MontagK505 said:
You may not have that option much longer. The refusal of some atheists to stay in the back of the bus is starting to annoy the fanatics. The Pat Roberson types would like to see this country turned into a Christianized version of Iran. ....
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Meh...two steps forward, one step back. Religious fervor waxes and wanes. Over time, reality chips away at unsupportable beliefs because scientific evidence based beliefs are more successful. It may have taken the Catholic church 400 years to apologize to Galileo, but not too many people can look at the evidence and buy the church's version of the solar system from 400 years ago.
 
MG1962 said:
The point I am was questioning "It happens all the time" Does it...really? Then no atheist can hold down a job in America. If an atheist does hold down a job, then suddenly it must be anything less than all the time.

It could be anything from common to very rare.

And of course we know the US represents the whole world
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That's an absurd interpretation bordering on straw.

I can't put the Darwin fish on my car because my clients might be offended if they see it. How many Christians would be worried about clients seeing a Jesus fish on their car?
 
MG1962 said:
The point I am was questioning "It happens all the time" Does it...really? Then no atheist can hold down a job in America. If an atheist does hold down a job, then suddenly it must be anything less than all the time.

It could be anything from common to very rare.

And of course we know the US represents the whole world
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Your original insinuation was that it didn't happen, and the US just happens to be the part of the world I live in. And how exactly do you get "an atheist can't hold a job in America"? I don't know why exactly you're so insistent on pretending Christian persecution against non-Christians doesn't exist, and I don't care. It happens, it has happened to many of the people I know, including Christians who merely weren't the "right kind" of Christian. In my experience, it's the norm. Why exactly are you so insistent that it doesn't happen?
 
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MG1962 said:
The point I am was questioning "It happens all the time" Does it...really? Then no atheist can hold down a job in America. If an atheist does hold down a job, then suddenly it must be anything less than all the time.

It could be anything from common to very rare.

And of course we know the US represents the whole world
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No. In many places, no atheist can say they're atheist. I'd have my teaching job now If I'd said nothing. Or better, if I'd lied to her.

During my temp job last summer at the Census, I lied like a rug and told those who asked that I am Christian. You don't have to hit me with the **** stick twice.
 
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Skeptic Ginger said:
Meh...two steps forward, one step back. Religious fervor waxes and wanes. Over time, reality chips away at unsupportable beliefs because scientific evidence based beliefs are more successful. It may have taken the Catholic church 400 years to apologize to Galileo, but not too many people can look at the evidence and buy the church's version of the solar system from 400 years ago.
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You are correct of course. In the long haul reason should prevail. Still, we shouldn't get complacent. Those steps back can be very unpleasant.

Have a Happy New Year!
 
From the podcast above "SE Cupp is annoying"

The word “faith” means: acceptance without benefit of knowledge. By declaring that one has “faith”, one has already admitted that one is ignorant. There should be no shame in being ignorant. Ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge. But, stupidity is the willful rejection of knowledge that is available. If religion is the glorification of “faith”, then religion is the glorification of ignorance. And, since there is a preponderance of actual knowledge available to remedy one’s ignorance, and since religion instructs the “faithful” to willfully reject knowledge, one is forced to conclude that religion promotes stupidity. And this is the paradigm that “people of faith” wants the general public to accept as a standard for civil law and the electability of political candidates? Hmmmm….
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I could not agree more. There are many many many things we are all ignorant in, the crushing majority of things we are ignorant in. But the willfull rejection of available contradictory knowledge *is* stupidity.
 
MG1962 said:
So we now condem 2.1 Billion people to stereo type through the actions of 277 people in a 10th rate town in a fifth rate fly over state of the USA

Thats gotta be some sort of record
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You asked example of this , links, then suddenly you want it to be demonstrated that it is a generality among christian. Goal post moving noted.
 
MG1962 said:
The point I am was questioning "It happens all the time" Does it...really? Then no atheist can hold down a job in America. If an atheist does hold down a job, then suddenly it must be anything less than all the time.

It could be anything from common to very rare.

And of course we know the US represents the whole world
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It "happens all the time" is a colloquial expression to mean it happens all over the place and is endemic, at least that is how I learned it. Which it is in the US, but is thankfully much less in Europe, except in some ultra catholic part like italy.

It indeed happens all the time, but it just don't happen *every* time.
 
Malerin said:
Fraid not.

Strong (positive) atheism is a belief.
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the article doesn't say that, and if it did who cares?

anyway the word belief doesn't mean anything in this context.

Its not a religion. grow up.

People aren't threatened by you, they're disgusted because you're rude and obnoxious. Even the atheists here have problems with you.
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I'm not disgusted etc..., and calling people names does nothing for you.

I'm an atheist, and Not disgusted......

however you sound like a right fundy loony at this point, whether you are or not I care not......
 
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